NameCensus.

UK surname

Found

An occupational surname denoting someone who worked with founders or molten metal.

In the 1881 census there were 335 people recorded with the Found surname, ranking it #9,016 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 383, ranked #12,269, down from #9,016 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Barnstaple, Bishops Tawton and Folkton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Torridge, Ashford and Scarborough.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Found is 508 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 14.3%.

1881 census count

335

Ranked #9,016

Modern count

383

2016, ranked #12,269

Peak year

1911

508 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Found had 335 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,016 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 383 in 2016, ranked #12,269.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 508 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Found surname distribution map

The map shows where the Found surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Found surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Found over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 199 #10,441
1861 historical 244 #10,087
1881 historical 335 #9,016
1891 historical 361 #9,589
1901 historical 428 #9,040
1911 historical 508 #7,747
1997 modern 409 #10,818
1998 modern 416 #11,037
1999 modern 417 #11,091
2000 modern 403 #11,333
2001 modern 385 #11,534
2002 modern 407 #11,294
2003 modern 393 #11,401
2004 modern 388 #11,539
2005 modern 383 #11,565
2006 modern 378 #11,714
2007 modern 376 #11,925
2008 modern 381 #11,918
2009 modern 389 #11,980
2010 modern 391 #12,207
2011 modern 392 #12,038
2012 modern 388 #11,996
2013 modern 403 #11,850
2014 modern 400 #12,006
2015 modern 394 #12,038
2016 modern 383 #12,269

Geography

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Where Founds are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Barnstaple, Bishops Tawton, Folkton, Stratton and Moorwinstow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Torridge, Ashford, Scarborough and East Staffordshire. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 Barnstaple, Bishops Tawton Devon
3 Folkton Yorkshire, North Riding
4 Stratton Cornwall
5 Moorwinstow Cornwall

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Torridge 004 Torridge
2 Ashford 008 Ashford
3 Torridge 003 Torridge
4 Scarborough 001 Scarborough
5 East Staffordshire 007 East Staffordshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Found

These lists show first names that appear often with the Found surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Found

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Found, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Found surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Found household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Found is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Found is most concentrated in decile 5 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Found falls in decile 5 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Found is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Found, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Found

The surname Found is of English origin and dates back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "fundan," which means "to find" or "to discover." This name was likely initially given as a descriptive nickname to someone who had made a significant discovery or found something of importance.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1166, which mentions a person named William Found. Another early reference is in the Curia Regis Rolls of Staffordshire from 1199, where a Richard Found is mentioned.

The Found surname has ties to various place names in England, such as Fownhope in Herefordshire and Fownhope in Gloucestershire. These place names may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname in certain regions.

In the 13th century, the surname appears in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire, where a Walter Found is listed. The Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1296 also mention a John Found.

One notable bearer of the Found surname was John Found, a 15th-century English composer and singer who served in the Chapel Royal of King Henry VI. He was active in the mid-1400s and is known for his compositions of sacred music.

Another significant figure was Sir Nathaniel Found, an English merchant and politician who lived from 1597 to 1681. He served as a Member of Parliament for Oxford and was involved in the cloth trade.

In the 17th century, Thomas Found, born in 1606, was an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious works, including "The Church's Conquest over the Ark of Gentry" published in 1644.

During the 18th century, John Found, born in 1737, was an English engraver and painter known for his landscapes and portraits. He worked in London and exhibited at the Royal Academy.

In the 19th century, Samuel Found, born in 1804, was an English architect and surveyor who designed several churches and public buildings in Lincolnshire and surrounding areas.

These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who have borne the surname Found, which has its roots in Old English and was likely initially used as a descriptive nickname for someone who made a significant discovery or found something of importance.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Found families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Found surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Yorkshire leads with 84 Founds recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.60x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 84 2.60x
Devon 45 6.64x
Wiltshire 40 13.88x
Cornwall 36 9.76x
Hampshire 18 2.70x
Staffordshire 17 1.55x
Middlesex 16 0.49x
Somerset 13 2.48x
Gloucestershire 11 1.72x
Warwickshire 10 1.22x
Berkshire 7 2.86x
Glamorgan 7 1.23x
Lincolnshire 7 1.34x
Nottinghamshire 7 1.59x
Monmouthshire 4 1.70x
Lancashire 3 0.08x
Surrey 3 0.19x
Kent 2 0.18x
Northumberland 2 0.41x
Durham 1 0.10x
Essex 1 0.16x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Folkton Flixton in Yorkshire leads with 21 Founds recorded in 1881 and an index of 5675.68x.

Place Total Index
Folkton Flixton 21 5675.68x
Morwenstow 14 1555.56x
Patrington 11 718.95x
Barnstaple 10 93.99x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 10 16.62x
Aston 9 3.98x
Burton Extra 9 142.63x
Holy Trinity 9 11.59x
Chitterne St Mary 8 3636.36x
Clovelly 8 909.09x
St George Hanover Square 8 13.94x
Stratton 8 400.00x
Tamworth 8 136.05x
Woolfardisworthy 8 816.33x
Bray 7 97.36x
Falsgrave 7 147.06x
Lowthorpe 7 3181.82x
St Teath 7 315.32x
Bedminster 6 12.18x
Devizes St Mary 6 206.19x
Heytesbury 6 571.43x
Hutton Cranswick 6 441.18x
Plymouth St Andrew 6 11.49x
Portsea 6 4.58x
Swansea Town 6 12.90x
Fordingbridge 5 137.74x
Lyncombe Widcombe 5 36.42x
Southampton St Mary 5 11.91x
Imber 4 909.09x
Knook 4 3333.33x
Rolleston 4 1538.46x
St Swithin Lincoln 4 48.84x
Bideford 3 41.32x
Illogan 3 30.71x
Salisbury St Edmund 3 64.94x
Skinningrove 3 151.52x
Spittlegate 3 41.61x
St Woollos 3 11.42x
Thwing 3 612.24x
Welcombe 3 1304.35x
West Lavington 3 217.39x
Amesbury 2 158.73x
Bridlington 2 27.06x
Fulham London 2 4.23x
Hampstead London 2 3.94x
Kirkdale 2 3.08x
Lambeth 2 0.70x
Lewisham 2 3.37x
Lofthouse 2 41.49x
Pilton 2 89.29x
Radstock 2 57.97x
South Kirkby 2 281.69x
Tilshead 2 377.36x
Twyford 2 125.00x
Tynemouth 2 7.70x
Tywardreath 2 84.39x
Warminster 2 31.70x
Abergavenny 1 11.34x
Bethnal Green London 1 0.71x
Birmingham 1 0.37x
Cardiff St Mary 1 3.20x
Caytn Deepdal Kilrby 1 147.06x
East Ham 1 8.38x
Easton 1 3333.33x
Hempholme 1 1111.11x
Ilfracombe 1 14.33x
Kilkhampton 1 91.74x
Muston 1 227.27x
Newark Upon Trent 1 6.34x
Newington 1 0.83x
Nottingham St Mary 1 0.88x
Pendleton In Salford 1 2.17x
Scarborough 1 3.41x
Sherburn 1 37.74x
South Kilvington 1 344.83x
St George In East London 1 3.26x
St Germans 1 38.91x
Twickenham 1 7.16x
West Teignmouth 1 19.27x
Willerby In Scarborough 1 212.77x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Found surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 22
Sarah 16
Elizabeth 12
Emma 9
Ann 8
Charlotte 5
Eliza 5
Fanny 5
Jane 5
Annie 4
Margaret 4
Ada 3
Alice 3
Dinah 3
Maria 3
Martha 3
Caroline 2
Catherine 2
Clara 2
Edith 2
Elizth. 2
Ellen 2
Hanh. 2
Laura 2
Lucy 2
Sophia 2
Susanna 2
Anne 1
Betsy 1
Blanch 1
Christina 1
Eleanor 1
Elizth.A. 1
Emily 1
Florance 1
Francis 1
Freed 1
Harriet 1
Helena 1
Kate 1
Lavinia 1
Louisa 1
Mabel 1
Marria 1
Maryan 1
Matild 1
Minnie 1
Pamela 1
Rebecca 1
Rhoda 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Found surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
William 21
John 19
Thomas 13
George 10
James 10
Henry 8
Charles 6
Alfred 5
Edward 5
Harry 5
Joseph 5
Frank 4
Frederick 4
Daniel 3
Geo. 3
Albert 2
Arthur 2
David 2
Fletcher 2
Fredrick 2
Nathan 2
Richard 2
Robert 2
Samuel 2
Willm. 2
Dan 1
Douglas 1
Edmond 1
Edmund 1
Edwd. 1
Elisha 1
F.F. 1
Fred 1
Hanson 1
Henery 1
Herbert 1
Jacob 1
Jas. 1
Jonathan 1
Joshua 1
Louis 1
Michael 1
Montague 1
Moses 1
Nathaniel 1
Sidney 1
Stephen 1
Thos. 1
Walter 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Found surname: questions and answers

How common was the Found surname in 1881?

In 1881, 335 people were recorded with the Found surname. That placed it at #9,016 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Found surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 383 in 2016. That gives Found a modern rank of #12,269.

What does the Found surname mean?

An occupational surname denoting someone who worked with founders or molten metal.

What does the Found map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Found bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.